I look at it, to some degree, in the same way that they have categorized homicides (first degree, manslaughter).

It assigns an underlying intention to the act in a similar way as premeditation does in the case of murder.

Now, I guess application will be interesting when a jock kicks a computer geeks ass and they try to apply it, lol.

In the end though, if some attacks or kills someone, and they can prove that they had some underlying motivation based on ethnicity, sexual orientation or what not, then I don't really have a problem with them giving a harsher sentence. But that's just me.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I look forward to the day when people aren't hurt and killed for who they are and ALL people are treated equally under the law.

NEVER going to happen. Ever. It's not human nature to treat everyone equally. Sorry, BH, it just isn't. No matter how much you think that may be wrong, it isn't - humans are biologically coded to fear the unknown and congregate with those that seem most like themselves. It is in a human being's nature to destroy that which it does not understand and cannot conquer - not embrace differences.

You expect a fantasy, miracle world to happen that will never happen on this planet, or at least with this species.

[edit on 31-10-2009 by sos37]

Martin E.P. Seligman, PH.D. former president of the APA (American Psychology Association) in his book "What you can change, and what you can't" states on page 149-150 that the ONLY clear recorded case of a Transsexual being cured is the following case. (As of his writing in 1993.) I copied over a shortened version of the account below.

John...thought of himself as a girl...on his way to surgery [sex change] he kept a promise...to check in with a local physician who was a member of a fundamentalist religion...[physicians explanation] his real problem was possession by evil spirits...prayer..laying on of hands...removed twenty-two spirits...He was followed closely for the next two and a half years by the psychiatric team and was clearly male-psychologically as well as physically...and was looking forward to marrying, a woman.

This is a secular source; if you don’t believe me look it up yourself. These perversions are demonic.

Could I be accused of a hate crime for referencing these?

(This is the original that Seligman referenced in his book)
D. Barlow, G. Abel, and E. Blanchard, "Gender Identity Change in a Transsexual: An Exorcism," Archives of Sexual Behaviour 6 (1977): 387-95

[edit on 31-10-2009 by StopComplaining]